


Vamparents

by StarryEyedDaydreamer



Category: What We Do in the Shadows (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Conversion therapy (mention), F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort, LGBT stories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24891493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryEyedDaydreamer/pseuds/StarryEyedDaydreamer
Summary: Nadja and Laszlo find a homeless teenager at the bus stop and decide to raise her as their own. They soon learn that parenting is harder than they imagined and are reminded of what it means to be human.
Relationships: Laszlo Cravensworth/Nadja
Comments: 9
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

It was the middle of the night when Nadja and Laszlo stepped out to go hunting. 

“Looks like dinner came to us tonight, my darling,” Laszlo nodded in the direction of the nearby bus stop where a figure was curled up on the bench . It wasn’t until they got closer that they could hear the sound of faint sobbing. 

“Laszlo, wait,” Nadja threw her arm out to stop her husband. “It sounds so sad.” 

Nadja continued forward to investigate. As she approached she was met with a pair of bloodshot eyes and the tear stained face of a teenage girl. Nadja could feel her dead heart sink at the sight. She couldn’t help but feel bad for the girl; out here all alone so late at night without even a burning donkey to keep her warm. 

“Are you alright, little one?” Nadja asked as she kneeled beside the bench. 

“I’m fine,” she sniffed. With that she turned her back and pulled her knees up closer to her chest as she tried to fight back tears. 

_So small and hard,_ Nadja thought to herself as she noticed the girl’s position. _Like a baby armadillo._

“Would you like to come inside and call your parents?” Nadja tried again, placing a gentle hand on the girls back. “I’m sure they are wondering where you are so late at night?” 

“No they’re not,” the girl said, fully sobbing again. “They don’t want me. They kicked me out.” 

Nadja felt another fracture in her stone cold heart. She looked over her shoulder at her husband with a pleading gaze. Laszlo shook his head, silently pleading his own case. Even if he hadn’t been able to hear the conversation with his enhanced senses, he had seen that look enough times to know that his wife was about to bring in another stray. 

Nadja ignored her husband and turned her attention back to the girl. 

“Well, either way, it’s not safe for young girls like yourself to be out so late alone.” Nadja took both the girl’s hands and pulled her up from the bench. “I insist you stay with my husband and me, at least until morning.” 

“Okay,” the girl cautiously agreed, as if she had much of a choice. She grabbed her backpack and followed the couple inside the house. 

“You can sleep in here,” Nadja instructed as she showed the girl to the spare familiar bedroom. “The bathroom is down the hall if you’d like to freshen up.” 

“Okay,” the girl nodded as she headed in that direction. She then paused and turned to Laszlo. “Sorry if I ruined your date night or something. I don’t want to be a burden… I’ll be out first thing in the morning.” 

Before Laszlo could respond the girl was off to the bathroom. 

“Don’t you feel like a big, bloody jerk?” Nadja asked with a tilt of her head. 

“I didn’t even say anything!” Laszlo threw his hands up in defense. 

“You didn’t have to,” Nadja argued. “It was all over your face!” 

Laszlo opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Guillermo.

“Does anyone want to explain why I just passed a teenage girl in the hallway?” He asked the vampires, who were still standing between the staircases. “We agreed on a ‘No Minors’ policy for both victims and sexual partners.”

“She is neither of those things,” Nadja shook her head. “She was all alone sitting at the bus stop with nowhere to go so I told her she could stay here for the night.” 

“Nadja, I know you well enough to know that it will not just be one night.” Laszlo piped up. “I say we call her a cab and give her money for a hotel.” 

“If she’s under 18 she won’t be able to get a hotel room on her own.” Guillermo pointed out as he slipped into his room under the stairs. “They would probably call the police and report her as a runaway.” 

“But she didn’t run away,” Nadja explained. “She said her parents kicked her out.” 

“Perhaps for good reason!” Laszlo argued. “Look, darling, I know you’ve been looking for an outlet for your maternal urges since Jenna went off to learn how to run a brothel but-“

“What?” Guillermo interjected. “Jenna didn’t-“

“You said she went to France to study with a bawd,” Laszlo explained. “What else would she be learning?” 

“No,” Guillermo shook his head with a light chuckle. “She went to France to study French literature. The program is called ‘Study Abroad’, since it’s in another country.” 

“Well, at any rate,” Laszlo waved his hand in Guillermo’s direction as if to dismiss him. “The girl can’t stay here.” 

“Give me one good reason.” Nadja crossed her arms. 

“Okay,” Laszlo said before pausing for a moment. “Damn it, Nadja, you know I don’t do well being put on the spot like that.” 

“Well, until you can give me a good reason why we shouldn’t keep her,” Nadja turned to leave. “She’s going to stay here as long as she needs.” 

Nadja went to the basement to feed while Laszlo stormed outside to hunt. Guillermo went back to tending to Nandor and the girl came back from the bathroom to find the foyer empty. She assumed everyone had gone to bed and decided to try to do the same, however, her mind continued to race as she replayed the argument she had had with her parents earlier that evening. 

When Laszlo came home from hunting he was feeling much more agreeable. Admittedly, his harsh response to the girl’s stay was spurred by his tendency toward irritability when he was hungry. Laszlo decided to go along with his wife’s charitable act, if only for the evening. As an act of good faith, Laszlo went to check on the girl. 

As he approached the door, which had been left cracked open, he could hear her cries being muffled by a pillow. Though when he paused outside the door the muffled sobs abruptly stopped, just as they had when Nadja had approached her. Guilt washed over the Englishman when he remembered he used to do the same thing as a human. He remembered what it was like to be in so much pain only to hide it so as not to burden others with it. He slowly opened the door. 

“Everything alright?” He asked awkwardly as he poked his head in. “I couldn’t help but hear…” 

The girl looked up from the stained pillow. She was sitting in the same balled up position as before, though now she was holding a pillow to her chest. 

“Sorry,” she sniffed as she quickly wiped away any tears. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I’ll be quieter.” 

“No, no,” Laszlo stepped inside and sat on the edge of the bed. “I just wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier. I was rude and you didn’t deserve that.” 

“Thanks…” the girl said awkwardly, curling up even tighter. 

“You know,” Laszlo snapped his fingers. “I just realized my wife never even asked your name.” 

“It’s Natalie.” She answered. “What’s your name?” 

“My name is Laszlo Cravensworth,” he said, extending his hand to her. “It’s very nice to meet you Natalie.” 

Natalie shook his hand, a smirk escaping her lips for a moment at the unusual formality of the man sitting next to her. 

“My wife’s name is Nadja, by the way,” Laszlo told her. “She was in such a rush to bring you inside I think she forgot to mention that.” 

Natalie smirked again. 

“If you don’t mind my asking,” Laszlo started again. “Why did your parents decide to throw you out so suddenly?” 

Natalie started crying again, but tried to explain through the tears. 

“I… I told them that I’m… that I’m a…” she choked back the tears to finish. “I told them I’m a lesbian.” 

Laszlo kept waiting for her to finish until he realized that was the whole story. 

“They kicked you out for that?” He asked incredulously. “I really thought everyone had gotten over that being a big deal by now.” 

“Apparently not everyone,” Natalie responded with a shrug. “I just can’t stop seeing their faces and the way they looked at me… like I was some kind of monster.” 

Laszlo knew that feeling all too well. He put his arm around Natalie and pulled her into a hug. 

“You’re not a monster.” He assured her. “The only monsters in this situation are the people who would throw their own flesh and blood away over something that’s as natural as breathing.” 

That affirmation caused Natalie to start crying again, though, this time she did so openly. 

“I’m sorry,” she apologized again as she pulled herself back together. “That’s, like, the first positive reaction I’ve gotten.” 

“You know,” Laszlo leaned back against the wall so that Natalie could rest her head on his chest. “You have nothing to apologize for. Not for who you love or how you feel.” 

“Thank you,” Natalie squeaked out as sobs racked her body. She was still curled up in a ball but she hid her face in Laszlo’s beard as he rubbed circles in her back. 

“There, there,” he soothed. 

Eventually, the crying stopped and Laszlo felt Natalie’s body relax beside him. She had finally cried herself to sleep. Laszlo got up slowly and carefully laid Natalie down on the bed and put a blanket over her. He wiped the tears from her face before leaving, making sure to leave the door cracked. 

Laszlo turned around to see Nadja standing on the opposite staircase with a hopeful look on her face. 

“My big teddy bear,” she smirked at her husband. 

“Her name is Natalie, by the way,” Laszlo responded as he climbed the stairs to meet her with a kiss. 


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

The next day, Natalie slept well into the afternoon. She had hiked nearly half way across Staten Island, after all. She would have slept longer if she hadn’t been woken up by a cheerful greeting echoing through the foyer. 

“Hellooo,” Colin Robinson called out to no one in particular as he knew the rest of his roommates were asleep in their coffins. 

Natalie grabbed her backpack and headed to the front door. 

“Oh, hello,” Colin greeted warmly, stopping as the young girl passed by him. He had gotten a nice snack last night from Nadja and Laszlo arguing over whether not to keep her. 

“I was just leaving,” Natalie said with a quick wave of her hand. 

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” He chuckled as he sorted through his mail. 

Natalie stopped in front of the door with her hand on the knob. Whoever this Dilbert-looking guy was, he had a point. She didn’t have anywhere to be. She had also used the last of her bus fare. 

“You’re sure you don’t mind if I stay a while?” Natalie turned back to face Colin. 

“Not at all,” Colin smiled. 

In fact, he was excited to have a chance to interact with a teenager. Adolescent humans are like chocolate fountains for energy vampires- they spend so much emotional energy being mad or upset over so many little things! Teenagers never seem to run out of energy to express their emotions which also causes anger and frustration for those around them, most notably their parents. Oh yes, if Colin could convince Natalie to stay with them then he would have a constant source of energy to tap into for at least a few years. 

“Are you hungry?” Colin asked. “I’m sure there’s a pizza in the freezer somewhere.” 

“Okay,” Natalie shrugged and followed, leaving her backpack in the front hall. 

After a couple of slices of pizza, Colin was starting to realize that Natalie was his favorite kind of teenager. She had been raised as an only child in a strict Catholic home. Her parents wanted to have more children but couldn’t- so they put a lot of pressure on Natalie to be perfect. Natalie had been raised not to show her emotions, and Colin could feel how frustrating it was for her to try and hide them. He could also tell she had been raised with manners by the way she tried to hide how frustrated she was while repeatedly showing him how to use Facebook (he already couldn’t wait for the energy he would get from all the social media lessons she could give him). Colin was just about to ask how to post a picture again when the doorbell rang. 

He answered the door to find a man and woman standing there. They were dressed in conservative clothing with concerned expressions. 

“Have you seen our daughter?” The man asked. “She ran away and we tracked her phone to here.” 

“Uh, no,” Colin lied as he tried to shut the door. 

“Please,” the man asked again. Before Colin could shut the door, Natalie’s backpack started ringing. 

“She’s here,” the woman said. “I just called her phone, that’s her back pack!”

“Where is she?” The man yelled, pushing past Colin to get inside. 

“Hey, man-“ Colin tried to intervene but the couple had already barged in and spotted Natalie in the foyer. 

“No, please,” Natalie begged as her father grabbed her by the arm. 

“No, Natalie!” The woman yelled. “You’re going to stay with the Thompsons until you get these unnatural thoughts out of your head.” 

“You will stay in a Godly home,” The man continued. “I will not let your soul be damned because you decided to live your life as an abomination on earth!” 

“What the blazes is going on here?” Laszlo and Nadja stood at the top of the stairs, having been woken up by all the commotion. 

“Are you the two shits that tossed this poor armadillo onto the street?” Nadja growled. 

“You’ll have to forgive our daughter,” the man sneered as he pulled Natalie toward the door. “She’s obviously not right in the head. First she thinks she’s a dyke, now she’s telling strangers stories.” 

“Let’s go, Natalie.” The woman grabbed Natalie’s other arm. “I don’t care if they have to beat it out of you, you will not be a queer!” 

“Hey, chap, this isn’t necessary,” Laszlo rushed down the stairs. “Let the girl stay here, we don’t care!”

“Why don’t you mind your own business?” The man shot back. 

Natalie tried to struggle, kicking her mother in the process. Her father yanked her arm again before rearing back and slapping Natalie across the face. At the sound of Natalie’s cry, Nadja flew down from the banister and tore into the man’s throat. Natalie fell to the ground and crawled to the staircase as Laszlo launched at her mother. She sat on the steps, her legs curled up and her fingers wrapped around the wooden bars as she watched blood splatter in every direction. Colin rushed over to her from the entryway. 

“Maybe you should look away,” Colin suggested, though Natalie didn’t seem to hear him. She sat frozen as Laszlo and Nadja dropped the empty corpses on the ground and wiped the blood from their lips. 

“Are you alright, little lamb?” Nadja turned and kneeled in front of Natalie, checking over her frantically. “Did they hurt you?” 

Natalie didn’t say anything. Her eyes were wide and wild while she watched as the woman who (not even a full minute ago) had been drinking blood from her father’s neck was now inspecting her arms and face for injuries with such gentle care. 

“You killed them.” Natalie stated, trying to make sense of what had just happened. “You’re...vampires?” 

“Please don’t be scared,” Laszlo knelt beside his wife. “I assure you we would never hurt you. In fact, we really try to avoid killing unless it’s to feed.” 

Colin knew that wasn’t exactly true, but he didn’t want to give Natalie any more reason to want to leave. 

Natalie looked over the vampires’ shoulders at the corpses of her parents. She thought she would feel worse about her parents dying. Sure, she felt bad. But not as bad as she felt when they were about to drag her off to a conversion camp. 

“I guess I really am an orphan now.” Natalie looked down at the floor. 

“You don’t have to be,” Laszlo responded. “I meant it when I told them to let you stay here.”

Natalie looked up and Nadja met her eyes. 

“Can we be your Mama and Papa?” She asked with a hopeful expression. 

“Really?” Natalie asked with a small smile. 

  
Before she could answer, Natalie pulled Nadja in close for a hug. Natalie’s arms wrapped so tightly around Nadja’s neck, she was thankful she didn’t need to breathe. Nadja smiled and held Natalie close, her little armadillo finally opened up. 


	3. Chapter Three

Natalie’s transition proved to be fairly easy. Her parents had already signed their rights away so all Laszlo and Nadja had to do was finish filling out the paperwork. 

“Here we are,” Laszlo smiled with a final flourish of his quill. “From this day forward, you shall be known as Natalie Cravensworth; daughter of Laszlo and Nadja.” 

The trio was in the library finalizing the details of Natalie’s adoption when Nandor came in, a stack of DVDs in his hands. 

“What is going on here?” Nandor asked, looking at Natalie suspiciously. “Who the fuck is this?” 

“This is our daughter, Natalie Cravensworth,” Laszlo explained. 

“Oh, you decided to keep it.” Nandor rolled his eyes. 

“Is that Twilight?” Natalie asked, noticing the boxes in the large man’s arms. 

“Oh yes, we must leave so Nandor can have his little movie night,” Nadja huffed. 

“I love Twilight,” Natalie smiled. “It’s my favorite!” 

“Really?” Nandor smiled, warming up to the young woman. “Would you like to watch them with me? No one else ever wants to…”

“I would love to!” Natalie squealed, before turning back to Laszlo and Nadja. “I mean, can I?” 

“Oh, sure?” Laszlo answered, looking to Nadja for affirmation. 

“If that’s what you want to do,” Nadja agreed with a shrug, though she didn’t understand why anyone would want to. 

Natalie helped Nandor set up the DVD player and Laszlo and Nadja made themselves comfortable on the sofa. 

“Okay, it’s starting!” Nandor announced excitedly as he scurried over to the armchair. 

Natalie sat on the floor between Nadja and Laszlo’s feet, her head resting against Nadja’s knee. Nadja reached down and ran her fingers through Natalie’s hair again, smiling to herself. Laszlo gazed at his wife as she watched over their daughter. He never imagined he would find himself in this situation, but he had a feeling he could get used to it. 

The next couple of weeks were filled with firsts as Natalie assimilated into the household. One of the upstairs studies was redecorated into a bedroom and Nadja wasted no time filling her daughter’s wardrobe. Taking inspiration from her new parents, Natalie picked out many ruffled blouses and collared dresses. 

Before long, it seemed like Natalie had always been around. She didn’t seem to have trouble keeping nocturnal hours which gave her plenty of time to spend with the vampires. Natalie loved to help Laszlo in the garden or organize spell books with Nadja. Sometimes, she would just wander off to explore the house and it’s antique treasures. Natalie had also proven to be quite helpful with chores, which Guillermo appreciated despite Laszlo insisting that such tasks were beneath a daughter of nobility. Still, Natalie did her best to at least pick up after herself. She loved living here and didn’t want any reason to have to leave. 

“Mail call!” Colin Robinson announced cheerfully as he stepped into Natalie’s bedroom. 

Natalie, Nadja and Laszlo were piled on the queen sized mattress. Nadja sat behind Natalie, brushing her long hair, while Natalie and Laszlo faced each other. They were reciting and discussing poetry while Natalie applied a new coat of black polish to her father's fingernails. 

The two vampires groaned at Colin’s entrance, which always made Natalie giggle. 

“Yes, Colin Robinson?” Nadja asked as she tied Natalie’s hair back with a black, silk ribbon. 

“To the guardians of Natalie Cravensworth,” Colin read aloud before skimming over the rest of the letter. “Oh, it’s from the board of education;you’ve been charged with truancy. You never enrolled Natalie in school.” 

“That’s hogwash, she’s received a fine education here at home,” Laszlo argued. “Just write back to that board that our daughter is being educated, thank you very much.” 

Colin rolled his eyes and redirected his attention to Natalie. 

“Natalie, will you give me a summary of what your curriculum has looked like these past few weeks?” 

“Uh, yeah, let’s see,” Natalie looked off as she tried to recall what she had learned. “We’ve read the early works of Edgar Allen Poe. Mama told me about the ancient history of what is now Eastern Europe; like how Nandor destroyed her family’s village. And Papa’s been teaching me how to play Habanera on the piano.” 

“Any math or science?” Colin asked. 

“I’ve got centuries worth of scientific studies amongst my volumes,” Laszlo answered. “And she knows all the math she needs. She knows how to count money and do arithmetic-“ 

“I’m pretty sure Edgar Allen Poe is the only thing that would actually be found in a modern tenth grade curriculum.” Colin explained. “There’s a lot of new stuff they teach nowadays that she has to go to school to learn.” 

“Ugh,” Natalie groaned as she fell back against Nadja’s chest and looked up at her. “Mama do I have to?” 

“I’m afraid so, my armadillo,” Nadja answered sadly, kissing her daughter’s forehead. 

“Papa,” Natalie sat up. “Please don’t make me go.” 

“I’m sorry, darling,” Laszlo shrugged as he read the letter himself. “It seems our hands are tied.” 

Natalie huffed again before getting up. 

“This is so unfair!” She screamed before slamming the door and leaving her parents and Colin in the bedroom. 

Colin’s eyes lit up at the sudden energy surge. 

“Now we’re having fun.” He smiled at Nadja and Laszlo, who were definitely not having fun anymore. 

Colin took Nadja to fill out the necessary forms to enroll Natalie in school. Meanwhile, Laszlo went to find Natalie. 

It didn’t take long, she had only gone to the Fancy Room. He stood by the doorframe and watched her as she found the right keys. It was a steady, repetitive tune, which Natalie found calming. She closed her eyes as she continued to pluck out the notes and feel the rhythm. 

Laszlo glided over and started playing the melody. Though he had meant to be comforting, the sudden noise startled Natalie. She jumped, her reflexes causing her to kick the piano and, in turn, the wooden key cover slammed down on her fingers and Natalie cried out in pain. She turned away from Laszlo as she held her fingers and fought back tears. 

“Oh, I’m sorry darling. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Laszlo sat on the bench and gingerly took his daughter’s hand to look at it. “I just wanted to check on you.” 

“I’m fine,” Natalie answered with a shaky breath as she slowly turned to face her father. “I’m sorry I yelled at you and Mama.” 

“It’s okay, I know that was a surprise,” he patted her hand as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I guess we just forgot you had a life before us.” 

“I just wish I never had to leave,” Natalie sighed. “Everyone at my old school thought I was weird. All the kids my age are so dumb.” 

Laszlo chuckled. Natalie’s precocious nature always amused him. On one hand, she was a strong young woman who could take care of herself if she needed to. But on the other hand, she was still just a child who wished to be by her parent’s side most of the time. 

“If they’re so dumb then why do you care what they think?” Laszlo asked. 

Natalie only answered with a half hearted shrug. 

“See? You have nothing to be worried about.” Laszlo bolstered. “You already know you’re better than the rest of those little shits. Maybe you’ll even meet someone that you can be friends with. Or maybe you could meet a pretty girl…” 

“Papa…” Natalie groaned with an embarrassed laugh. 

Laszlo smiled as his daughter warmed back up. 

“I’m serious, this could be a brand new start for you.” Laszlo said. “And just remember, if anyone tries to mess with you they’ll have to answer to me.” 

“Thanks, Papa,” Natalie smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The musical piece referenced in this chapter is called English Habanera by Christian Perrotta, a variation of the song Habanera from the opera Carmen.


	4. Chapter Four

Colin and Nadja looked at all the private schools (Laszlo wouldn’t even entertain the idea of public school) located in Staten Island. After weeding out all of the schools that had a religious affiliation, the only choice left was Staten Island Academy. 

“It says here,” Colin said as he adjusted his glasses. “That Natalie will have to take an entrance exam.” 

“That shouldn’t be so hard,” Nadja shrugged. “She is very smart and Laszlo can help her study.” 

“They also require an interview,” Colin continued. “Apparently they like to get to know the student as well as the parents as part of the admissions process.” 

“Oh,” Nadja’s face dropped. “Well, can’t we just use hypnosis on the headmaster so they will let her in?” 

“I guess,” Colin shrugged. “But wouldn’t it be nice for Natalie to know that she got in on her own merits?” 

“Yes, she would like that,” Nadja pondered. “We could still tell her that, no?” 

“I mean, you could. But that wouldn’t be true, which would mean you are…” Colin trailed off hoping Nadja would finish the sentence. 

“Are you alright, Colin Robinson?” Nadja asked. “Did you hit your head?” 

“No, I’m trying to say that you can’t do that because it would be lying.” Colin explained. 

Nadja stared at him with a blank expression. 

“Which would be wrong.” Colin clarified. 

“What’s wrong with that?” Nadja threw her hands up. “That way we know Natalie won’t get rejected and she still gets to feel good about herself. She’s been through so much recently, I don’t want her to get her feelings hurt if this stupid school decides they don’t want her. Or what if me and Laszlo say the wrong thing and ruin it for her?” 

“Well, if they reject her then she would either have to go to the local public school or you and Laszlo would have to homeschool her based on the state’s guidelines,” Colin answered logically. “But I doubt that will happen; like you said, Natalie’s really smart. And if she ends up being rejected because of something you and Laszlo did which, let’s face it, is more likely to happen- then in that case I’m sure she would understand if you hypnotized the school into accepting her.” 

Nadja considered Colin’s point. 

“You know, Colin Robinson,” Nadja nodded. “You’re quite good at these parenting things.” 

“Thanks,” Colin smiled. “Actually, energy vampires are often known to have a natural caregiving ability due to our empathetic-“

“Please, don’t ruin this, Colin Robinson.” Nadja shook her head as she held a hand up to Colin’s face. 

“Is this where I’m going to school?” Natalie asked, leaning over their shoulders and squinting at the bright screen. 

“Well, that looks decent for an American education,” Laszlo shrugged. 

“Laszlo, you can’t say things like that,” Nadja scolded. “Natalie is American.” 

“You also shouldn’t say that during the interview you’re going to have with the headmaster,” Colin reminded. 

“Interview?” Laszlo asked. 

“Yes, darling,” Nadja remembered. “It’s part of the admission process. Natalie, my clever armadillo, you will take an exam to show them what a genius you are and then Papa and I will come with you to talk to the headmaster about how wonderful you are and how lucky they should be to have you at their school.” 

“But how will you be able to come to the school during the day?” Natalie asked as she came around the sofa to sit next to her mother. 

“We’ll just have to make something up about how we have work or something,” Laszlo suggested. “Tell them we’re only available in the evening.” 

“That’s not a lie,” Nadja pointed out proudly. “We are only available in the evening, that’s true.” 

“But it’s not the whole truth,” Natalie countered with a worried expression. “Which isn’t far from a lie. It feels like I’m gonna have to lie about some stuff and I just have to warn you: I’m a really bad liar. Anytime I try to lie I get this knot in my chest and I start feeling really sick until I tell the truth.” 

“Wow,” Laszlo chuckled. “Those Catholics really did a number on you.” 

“I’m serious!” Natalie insisted. 

Colin’s eyes lit up. 

“I know, darling,” Nadja soothed, gently twisting her fingers through Natalie’s hair. “But, not all lies are bad. Sometimes we have to tell lies to protect ourselves and the ones we love.” 

“Your mother’s right,” Laszlo agreed. “If we told these people the whole truth they would, at best, think we were insane. At worst, they could try to kill us.” 

“They could try,” Nadja shrugged. “They probably wouldn’t win, but they could try.” 

“So for the sake of fulfilling this summons from the educational board,” Laszlo continued. “And ensuring both your academic and social success, we’re going to have to… embellish the truth a bit. But just know, we are only doing it because we have to.” 

“Okay,” Natalie nodded as she swallowed the lump in her throat. 

“Okay,” Colin refrained cheerfully, knowing he was about to get a great feed from Natalie. “I’ve got the practice exam here. Let’s get studying!” 


	5. Chapter Five

Nadja was able to arrange a meeting with the headmaster during the school’s Open House on Wednesday evening. The trio arrived in a cab and found the campus filled with students and their parents. 

“Now remember what we talked about,” Nadja instructed as she straightened the lace collar on Natalie’s black velvet mini dress. “We adopted you after your parents were killed in a tragic accident-“

“Truly tragic,” Laszlo chimed in as he made sure his coat tails wouldn’t get caught in the door as the taxi drove away. 

“And your jobs require you to keep odd hours,” Natalie finished for them, her tone cool and even. “I practiced this morning before I went to bed.” 

Laszlo and Nadja exchanged a proud smirk. 

“You’re going to do wonderfully, darling,” Laszlo assured her. 

“But, no matter what happens,” Nadja added quickly. “We will be here for you. Even if you have to go to the public school.” 

Laszlo shuddered at the thought. 

“I’ll be fine, Mama.” Natalie assured her before turning to Laszlo. “And I’m not worried about the test. Once Colin left and actually let me concentrate it wasn’t that hard.” 

The Cravensworth family was welcomed into the school by teachers passing out flyers and maps of the campus. The lobby was filled with people going in various directions. 

“Excuse me,” Natalie approached one of the women at the registration table. “My name is Natalie Cravensworth, I’m looking for the principal.” 

“Oh, she mentioned there would be a prospective family visiting tonight,” the woman smiled. “I’ll go get her; one moment.” 

“Well, this isn’t so bad.” Laszlo commented as he looked around. 

“Woah,” an athletic looking boy laughed to his friends as they walked past. “Get a load of the Addams Family over here.” 

The group of boys chuckled. Laszlo grabbed Nadja’s hand before she could react; a reflex he had spent centuries developing. However, he couldn’t stop Natalie from swiftly extending her foot out and tripping the boy, causing him to fall forward and land right on his face. She did so with such stealth, bringing her foot back to center so quickly, that the boy wasn’t even sure what he’d tripped over. 

Natalie glared at him as he looked up from the tile floor before he frantically picked himself up and scurried away with his friends. Natalie snickered to herself. 

“Next time, try to trip him backwards,” Laszlo corrected over Natalie’s shoulder. “If his nose had started bleeding your mother would have been uncontrollable. I can hold her back from anger or bloodlust but not both.” 

“Sorry,” Natalie turned over her shoulder. 

“Don’t be sorry, that prick deserved it.” Laszlo encouraged. “We just need to work on your technique.” 

“Hi, you must be the Cravensworth family!” The principal greeted, waving as she walked over. “I’m Principal Turner. Why don’t you follow me to my office and we can get started?” 

As the family followed Principal Turner down the hall, Natalie could feel the gazes of the other students. She loved her new life, but she had forgotten what life was like outside of their dark, cozy mansion. She tried to channel the same confidence her parents had though, she guessed, that level of confidence came naturally when you knew you could just kill anyone who offended you. But Natalie could only trip so many arrogant jocks. 

“I must say, Natalie,” Principal Turner said as they all took a seat in her office. “I was very impressed by your application. We don’t normally take transfers this far into the semester but when I read the essay you submitted for your writing sample, I was blown away.” 

“Thank you,” Natalie smiled shyly. 

“And Mr. and Mrs. Cravensworth,” Principal Turner continued. “I believe you are the first chiropterologists I’ve ever met. What an interesting profession. If I may ask, how does one get into the study of bats?” 

“Well, I have always been a man of science,” Laszlo explained. “But it was my good lady wife Nadja who turned me on to bats in particular.” 

“Yes, I have spent many years studying bats,” Nadja added. “Particularly their mating habits-“ 

“When am I taking the exam?” Natalie cut in before Nadja got too into her character. 

“Oh, of course, I’m sure you’re anxious to get it over with.” Principal Turner pulled a test booklet out of her desk. “You’ll have an hour to complete it. Mr. and Mrs. Cravensworth, you can wait in the hall or else you’re welcome to come join the rest of the parents and teachers in the gymnasium.” 

“They’ll wait in the hall,” Natalie answered for them. 

“We’ll be in the hall then,” Laszlo nodded as he offered Nadja his arm. 

“Good luck, my little armadillo,” Nadja said before placing a final kiss on the top of Natalie’s head. 

“Thank you, Mama,” Natalie sighed, trying not to let her nerves get the better of her. 

Principal Turner left to meet with the other parents in the gymnasium while Nadja and Laszlo waited for Natalie in the hallway. 

“I really thought there would be more questions to that interview,” Nadja commented after a few minutes as she paced in front of Laszlo. 

“There probably would have been more if you hadn’t started talking about bats fucking each other,” Laszlo pointed out. 

“The lady asked!” Nadja argued. “I wanted to be convincing.” 

“Do you get the feeling Natalie’s embarrassed by us?” Laszlo asked. “I mean, I don’t see any of the other fathers in coat tails.” 

“I guess we could try to blend in more at school events,” Nadja shrugged. “It would also give us a chance to go shopping. We haven’t bought new clothes since the 1980s.” 

“Maybe we could stand to modernize some other parts of our lives,” Laszlo suggested. “Perhaps we could install some of those lights that turn on when you clap.” 

“Or we could get some of those beads you put over the doorways,” Nadja added with a smile. “I’m guessing they are some kind of alarm for ghosts.” 

“You know, I did enjoy wearing those blue jeans when I was in Pennsylvania,” Laszlo pondered. 

“You don’t have to do any of that.” Natalie told them as she stepped out of the office. 

“Oh, darling,” Laszlo looked up. “When did you finish your test?” 

“It only took me, like, fifteen minutes,” Natalie shrugged. “But, then I heard you guys talking so I waited to come out.” 

“Well, we mean it,” Nadja stepped forward. “We will do better to be more like the other parents.” 

“Why would I want that?” Natalie smirked. 

“You mean, you’re not embarrassed by us?” Laszlo asked. 

“Well, sometimes, just a little bit.” Natalie admitted. “But, I doubt the other kids’ parents can crawl up buildings or talk to animals. So I’m pretty sure that makes you guys better than them.” 

The vampires smiled at each other as Principal Turner came back down the hall. 

“Oh, Natalie,” Principal Turner said. “Is everything okay? You still have thirty minutes to finish.” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Natalie turned and answered. “I finished a few minutes ago. I left my test booklet on the desk.” 

“Okay,” Principal Turner nodded with an impressed smile. “Well, in that case, I will grade this and the admissions committee will make a decision in the morning. We’ll be in touch.” 

“Thank you, Principal Turner,” Natalie smiled, shaking the older woman’s hand. 

“Yes,” Laszlo added. “Thank you for your time, Madam.” 

After arriving home later that evening, Laszlo and Nadja went to the basement cell to feed and Natalie decided to change into pajamas. When Nadja and Laszlo came back upstairs they found Natalie sitting on her bed reading Sylvia Plath. 

“Darling, we’re going to our crypt,” Nadja came over and brushed Natalie’s hair away from her face. “Don’t stay up too late, alright?”

“I won’t,” Natalie nodded as she reached up to hug each of her parents. “Goodnight Mama, goodnight Papa.” 

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” Laszlo kissed the top of her head. 

Natalie tossed and turned but eventually gave in to the insomnia and decided to go to the fancy room to practice her piano playing. She must have lulled herself to sleep because she awoke to the sharp trill of the rotary phone downstairs. Natalie looked at the clock on the wall; it was 9:30 in the morning. Another trill echoed through the house and Natalie could hear her parents coming out of their coffins as she slid down the hardwood past their crypt. 

“What the hell?” Laszlo groaned. 

“Who would ever call during the daylight hours?” Nadja yelled. 

“Who dares to awaken-“ Nandor boomed as he came out of his room. 

“SHHH!” Natalie hissed before composing herself and answering. “Hello, Cravensworth residence. This is Natalie.” 

Nadja and Laszlo looked at each other as they both remembered the phone call they were expecting. They ran down the stairs, careful to avoid any patches of sunlight leaking in through the windows. They found Natalie hunched over the phone in the library. 

“Okay, thanks so much,” Natalie nodded before hanging up. 

“Was that the school?” Nadja held Natalie’s hands. 

“What did they say?” Laszlo asked, his own hands shaking from excitement. 

“It was the school,” Natalie nodded slowly. “I got in!” 

Cheers erupted from the library as Nadja and Laszlo embraced their daughter. 

“Would you shut up?” Nandor yelled. “Some of us are still trying to sleep!”

“Sorry, old chap!” Laszlo called back.

“Fucking guy…” Nandor muttered as he went back to his coffin. 

  
  



	6. Chapter Six

Though Laszlo and Nadja knew that Natalie’s school schedule would take some getting used to, they didn’t quite realize the extent. 

Unlike before, when she was awake from sunset to sunrise, Natalie now woke up at 7AM. She had to be at school from 8AM until 3PM. She would walk through the park to get home by 4PM to change out of her school uniform and into her home clothes. If she ate dinner while she did her homework, which was normally about an hour’s worth of work for each of her four core classes, then she could be done with schoolwork by the time her parents arose around 8PM. But that was only if she didn’t have any other essays to research, group projects to finish or tests to study for which, more often than not, she did. In which case, Natalie was lucky if she made it to bed by midnight. 

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Laszlo greeted his daughter as she walked toward her room with her notes and textbooks. 

“Goodnight, Papa,” Natalie yawned with a wave of her hand. “Goodnight, Mama.” 

“Do you need any help studying?” Nadja followed Natalie, who had already crawled into bed. 

“It’s okay,” Natalie yawned again. “Colin helped me.” 

“Oh, okay,” Nadja nodded. “Well, goodnight, then.” 

Natalie had already fallen asleep. Nadja sighed as she sat on the edge of the bed and untied the ribbon from her daughter’s hair, running her fingers through the chocolate hued waves. 

“Don’t worry darling,” Laszlo sat next to his wife. “At least tomorrow’s Friday. We’ll have all weekend to spend with her.” 

The next evening, Laszlo and Nadja woke up and knocked on Natalie’s bedroom door excitedly. 

“Natalie, darling, are you awake?” Nadja asked. 

There was no answer. 

“Sweetheart, it’s the weekend,” Laszlo called through the door. “Surely you can take a break from studying and come spend some time with your parents?” 

“We could watch one of those vampire shows you like!” Nadja suggested. “Like the one with the girl who has the two boys fighting over her!”

“Which one are you talking about?” Laszlo whispered. “That’s basically all of them.” 

Nadja shrugged. 

“Natalie?” Nadja called again. 

She opened the door only to find that Natalie wasn’t there. 

“That’s odd,” Laszlo furrowed his brow. 

He and Nadja went downstairs to the library where they found Colin Robinson reading a newspaper. 

“Colin Robinson, do you know where Natalie is?” Nadja asked. 

“Oh, she’s not here.” Colin answered. “She never came home from school. I figured she had already let you guys know.” 

“She did not let us guys know!” Nadja gasped. 

“Why didn’t you say something?” Laszlo shouted, grabbing the bald man by his shoulders. 

“You’re just going to sit here while our daughter is all alone somewhere on Staten Island?” Nadja growled. 

“She’s not alone, she’s with friends.” Colin held up his phone screen to show a picture of Natalie with a group of teenagers. “She was tagged in that photo a couple of hours ago. And she’s not on Staten Island. They went across the bridge to Coney Island.” 

“But she’s not in her school uniform,” Laszlo noticed. “If she didn’t come home how could she have changed clothes?”

“She must have put them in her backpack this morning,” Colin shrugged. 

“Let me see,” Nadja took the phone from her husband. “Aw, I love that blouse on her-“

“Nadja,” Laszlo sighed. 

“I just don’t believe she would do such a thing.” Nadja shook her head. “Did you check the box of voices?” 

Colin pressed the button on the answering machine.

“You have...no new messages,” the automated voice replied.

“I’m going to call her,” Laszlo huffed, pulling out the flip phone he was still learning how to use. “That phone wench keeps asking me to leave a message!” 

“If it goes straight to voicemail then either her phone died,” Colin pointed out. “Or she turned it off to ignore you.” 

“But she always keeps the resurrecting rope for her phone in her backpack,” Nadja reasoned. 

“Then I guess you know which one it is,” Colin chuckled as he walked away. 

“Why would she do this?” Laszlo asked. “We told her to always let us know where she is! That was basically the only rule we had!” 

Nadja didn’t say anything. Laszlo turned back to find her still looking at the photo on Colin’s phone. 

“Look how happy she is,” Nadja sighed, her face settling into a frown. “Laszlo, I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for all this.” 

“Well, we’re about to find out,” Laszlo looked out the window to see Natalie and a young man walking up the steps to the house. As Natalie pulled her house key out of her pocket, Laszlo swung the door open. “Would you like to explain where you’ve been all night and who the hell you’ve been with?” 

“Oh, I’m Toby, sir,” the young boy offered his hand but Laszlo didn’t pay him any attention. 

“Papa, what are you talking about?” Natalie asked. “What’s going on?” 

“Young lady, don’t play coy with me,” Laszlo scolded. “You get inside this instant.” 

“I’ll see you on Monday, Natalie,” Toby said awkwardly as he turned to leave. 

Natalie gave a half hearted wave before entering the house. Laszlo shut the door behind her, the sound echoing through the house. The hair on the back of Natalie’s neck stood up and her heart started pounding. She knew this feeling: she was in trouble but she couldn’t figure out why. 

“Look, I’m sorry I was out later than expected,” Natalie apologized. “But I left a message to let you know.” 

“That’s funny, because we just checked the messages,” Laszlo crossed his arms. “The phone wench did not relay any messages.” 

“Well, I know I left one after Toby picked me up so you would know where I went.” Natalie argued. “I would have left another one but I guess I forgot my charger in my backpack.” 

“Where did Toby pick you up from?” Nadja asked. “Where did you lose your backpack?” 

“I didn’t lose it,” Natalie answered, her frustration and confusion building with each new question. “I left my backpack here when I came home from school to change clothes. Toby picked me up right after I told Colin to let you know where I was going. I left you a message after Toby’s mom offered to drive us to Coney Island and I knew I wouldn’t be home before you got up.” 

“But, that’s not what-“ Nadja tried to make sense of the new information. 

“COLIN ROBINSON,” Natalie shouted as she darted down to the basement. “YOU SONOFABITCH!” 

It was at that moment that Laszlo and Nadja realized what had just happened. 

The vampires caught up to Natalie as she swung open the door to Colin’s room. Colin was on the edge of the bed with a wide grin and glowing eyes. 

Natalie didn’t say anything, she only lunged and tackled the older man to the ground. She pinned him down with her knee to his chest and wrapped her fingers around his throat. Colin looked up and saw Natalie’s enraged eyes start glowing like his. Colin tried to peel Natalie’s fingers from his jugular but she was too strong. Just as Colin could feel his life force beginning to be drained, Natalie’s whole body seized up and started shaking. She fell to the ground and Nadja scooped her up. 


	7. Chapter Seven

“Colin Robinson, what the fuck is going on?” Laszlo growled as he picked Colin up by his shirt collar and pinned him against the wall. 

“I don’t know what _that_ was,” Colin put his hands up. “But, I confess, I was the one who deleted Natalie’s message. And I took her charger out of her bag before she left. I needed energy but she was just always so good! Most teenagers are nightmares to live with but she hardly causes a fuss. So I figured I could orchestrate a little friction and then come clean in the morning.” 

“I hope it was worth it, Colin Robinson!” Nadja cried as she picked Natalie up and left. 

Laszlo dropped Colin on the ground as he went to follow his wife. 

“Laszlo, wait!” Colin called after him. 

“What now, Colin Robinson?” 

“I think Natalie is an energy vampire,” Colin grunted as he picked himself up. “Her eyes lit up and I could feel her draining me.” 

“That’s preposterous,” Laszlo scoffed. “Her parents were both human, Nadja and I would have known if we had drained energy vampires.” 

“Actually, it’s quite common for psychic abilities to skip a generation.” Colin explained. “My parents weren’t energy vampires but it was well known that my Nana was sensitive to changes in energy vibrations. I didn’t even know what an energy vampire was until I was in high school and I found out my history professor was one.” 

“So your saying it’s possible that Natalie could have gotten this far in life without even knowing she has these abilities?” Laszlo clarified. 

“Well, given her strict religious upbringing and apparent emotional repression… I think it’s very likely.” Colin shrugged. “My guess is that she adapted by being empathetic and observant in order to pick up on the more subtle energy waves to feed without realizing it. Which explains why she basically shorted out trying to drain such a high level of raw energy from me.” 

“How the fuck does that explain it?” Laszlo shook his head. 

“How do I explain this…” Colin pondered. “It’s kind of like in Twilight.” 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Laszlo sighed. 

“Natalie has been like the Cullens,” Colin explained. “She’s only been getting enough energy to keep herself going. So, in nightwalker terms, if she’s spent her whole life just draining rabbits and squirrels… draining me was like trying to take out a bear. But like, the energy equivalent of a bear.” 

“Well, have you ever ‘shorted out’, as you put it?”

“Oh yeah,” Colin nodded. “Remember when you guys had to pick me up from that election night watch party in 2016?” 

“You were sick as a dog for the whole weekend after that,” Laszlo nodded. 

“The good news is,” Colin smiled. “She should be fine! And now I have a buddy to go hunting with!”

“I don’t think you and Natalie will be going anywhere together anytime soon,” Laszlo shook his head and left. 

Laszlo found Nadja and Natalie in the bathroom. Nadja sat on the edge of the bathtub, holding Natalie’s hair and rubbing her back as she retched into the toilet. Nadja’s face screwed up in disgust at the sound but she never let that disgust reach her voice. 

“There, there, my armadillo,” Nadja soothed as she tried to look away. “You’re okay, Mama’s here.” 

Nadja got Natalie cleaned up and put her to bed for the evening. She shut the door to Natalie’s room and found Laszlo waiting in the hall. 

“I’m going to cut Colin Robinson’s balls off,” she hissed quietly, so as not to wake her daughter. “And I’m going to shove them down his throat if he needs something to feed on so badly!” 

“I know darling. I’m still upset with him, too.” Laszlo pulled his wife close. “But I also spoke with him and he suspects that Natalie may be an energy vampire.” 

Laszlo explained what Colin had told him and Nadja thought about it. 

“It does make sense,” Nadja nodded. “Maybe it would be good for Colin Robinson to teach her how to drain energy.” 

“After that stunt he just pulled?” Laszlo asked. 

“It’s not like we have that many options,” Nadja shrugged. “And it could be good for her. You’ve seen how overwhelmed she gets when there’s a lot going on. What if she ‘shorted out’ at school with all that teenage energy flying in her face? He could teach her to manage that. Maybe she could even learn to drain Colin Robinson.” 

“That’s an idea,” Laszlo pondered for a moment. “Fine, but he’s going to have to teach her in the afternoons when she’s home from school. I don’t want to lose any more time with her in the evenings.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was shorter! I wanted to go ahead and explain the energy vampire logic before moving on. Thanks for reading this far!


	8. Chapter Eight

Natalie spent most of her weekend in bed; feeling sick and fatigued from her altercation with Colin Robinson. Nadja and Laszlo apologized for the misunderstanding, which Natalie forgave. They all agreed that Colin was to blame; a fact that only made Nadja and Laszlo’s next announcement more difficult. 

“What?” Natalie sat up in bed, a bit too quickly she would realize before laying down again. “After all that now you’re going to make me spend time with him?” 

“We’re just suggesting,” Nadja began, sweeping the hair away from Natalie’s face. “That you let him evaluate your psychic abilities.” 

“I am not-“ Natalie stammered. “I don’t have  _ psychic _ abilities.” 

“You never know,” Laszlo shrugged. “All I know for sure is that we’ve all tried choking Colin Robinson and  _ that _ has never happened.” 

“We just think it’s worth looking into,” Nadja sat on the bed. “Will you just try for a week?” 

“If you don’t feel any differently by then,” Laszlo added. “We’ll make sure Colin Robinson never even looks at you again.” 

Natalie thought for a moment before groaning and turning over. 

“Fine,” she groaned. 

The next afternoon, as Natalie left school, she was met by Colin Robinson. 

“Natalie!” Colin called from the front gate, waving excitedly. “Natalie, I’m here to walk you home!”

“Do you know that guy?” Toby chuckled. 

Natalie thought about denying it, but Colin was already talking to other students as they walked out. 

“Yeah, he’s my uncle,” Natalie lied. “I’ll text you later, Toby.” 

Natalie rushed over to where Colin was talking with the crossing guard on the sidewalk. 

“Let’s go,” Natalie yanked Colin’s arm as she walked by without pause. 

“How was your day?” Colin asked. “Did you learn a lot? Who was that boy you were walking with?” 

“That was Toby,” Natalie explained, briskly walking through the park. “We have a few classes together, we’re friends.” 

“How come he’s never come over?” Colin asked as he tried to keep up with Natalie. 

“Is that a joke?” Natalie rolled her eyes. 

“Oh yeah,” Colin shrugged.. “Well, he could come by during the day on the weekends. Does Toby like-“

Natalie suddenly stopped and turned about-face in front of Colin, who stumbled back to avoid colliding with her. 

“Can we skip the chit-chat?” Natalie asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t even really understand why my parents are making me spend time with you but I promised to do it for the week. So if you don’t mind, let’s cut to the chase.” 

Natalie didn’t wait for a response before she continued walking. Colin caught up to her again. 

“Okay, I actually wanted to start by asking you some questions.” Colin began. “Like, do you remember what you were feeling between when you got home Friday night and when you came downstairs to choke me?” 

Natalie thought about it for a moment. 

“Well, I was confused and kind of scared,” Natalie admitted, her pace slowing a bit. “I didn’t know why they were mad because I  _ thought _ I had done the right thing by letting you know. But I wasn’t angry until Papa said there weren’t any messages.” 

“Yeah, I felt that.” Colin chuckled. 

“I came downstairs when I felt you draining me,” Natalie concluded. 

“And what was going through your mind when you were choking me?” 

“I… I don’t know,” Natalie shrugged. “I’ve never felt that way before. I just remember feeling like you had taken something that was mine and all I wanted was to take it back. Then, out of nowhere, I felt this rush- like that moment right as a rollercoaster makes the first drop, but it didn’t stop. I got really lightheaded and next thing I knew I was in the bathroom, throwing up.” 

“Alright,” Colin nodded. “So, I want you to remember that feeling and apply it to...that guy.” 

Colin pointed to a man who was walking toward them in a hurry, talking on his phone. 

“But he didn’t do anything to me,” Natalie reasoned. 

“You see how fast he’s walking?” Colin asked, stepping behind Natalie so she could see their target better. “He must have a lot of energy to walk that fast. That’s energy you need to feed on. You need to find a way to make him give you his emotional energy, make him mad.” 

Natalie wasn’t sure if she could, but she decided to give it a try. She pulled her phone out of her bag and started walking toward the man as she stared at the screen. Their paths collided and the man stumbled backward. 

“Watch it, dude,” Natalie scoffed. 

“Excuse me?” The man looked at Natalie, his attention pulled away from his phone call. 

“I said watch where you’re going, Boomer.” Natalie enunciated before rolling her eyes as they began to spark with energy. 

“Are you serious?” He asked. “You walked straight into me while you had your eyes glued to that screen.” 

“Well, if you saw everything so well why didn’t you step aside?” Natalie argued, feeling the energy radiate toward her. 

“Who the hell raised you?” The man asked, getting angrier. “I swear all you teenagers nowadays are just entitled brats.” 

Colin could see Natalie’s eyes glowing with energy. Remembering her low tolerance, he decided to step in. 

“Excuse me, sir,” Colin approached them. “Are you bothering my daughter?” 

“Oh, this kid is yours?” The man asked. “Congrats, man. You raised a real piece of work.” 

With that the man walked off in a huff, grumbling into his phone. 

“Holy shit,” Natalie laughed. “That was amazing!”

“I know, right?” Colin chuckled as they continued walking. 

Natalie looked back over her shoulder at the man she had drained. She stopped and watched as he sat down on a bench and caught his breath. He put his hand over his face and suddenly looked like he was hearing some bad news. 

“Hey, there’s a city council meeting tonight,” Colin suggested, still walking along the path. “We could- Natalie?”

Colin looked over to see Natalie had disappeared. He turned around and saw Natalie standing over the man. She put a hand on his shoulder as she offered him a bottle of water she had in her backpack. Colin could see by her expression that she was apologizing. The man stood up and accepted the water bottle, thanking her. Natalie clasped her hands over his as she gave him another smile and a final nod before walking back over to Colin. 

“What the hell was that?” Colin muttered as he and Natalie fell back into step. 

“I felt bad, so I apologized.” Natalie shrugged. “Apparently his mom is in the hospital, that’s why he was in such a rush.” 

“But you just gave him back all the energy you took in the first place,” Colin reasoned as they approached the front door at home. “That’s counterintuitive.” 

“Actually,” Natalie began as she walked in the front hall and set her backpack down. “I felt a lot better after I apologized to him.” 

“That’s just your Catholic upbringing talking.” Colin scoffed as he followed Natalie into the foyer. 

“Well, at first,” Natalie admitted. “But once I asked him what was wrong and he started telling me about his mom and how his sister had been taking care of her… it was like he was just giving me his energy.” 

“What?” 

“Yeah,” Natalie nodded. “I mean, it definitely wasn’t as strong as when he was angry at me. But, I think it was actually better.” 

“But, that’s not how energy vampires work,” Colin argued. 

“Oh, really?” Natalie scoffed. “First you convince my parents I have psychic abilities, now you’re mansplaining to me that I’m using them wrong? I’ll show you, no Catholic guilt required.” 

Natalie knocked on Guillermo’s bedroom door. 

“Hey, Natalie,” Guillermo opened the door and took his earphones out. “I was just on my break. Did you need something?” 

“Oh, no I was just seeing how your day’s been so far.” Natalie smiled, holding Guillermo’s gaze. 

“It’s actually been kind of hectic,” Guillermo admitted. “I had a lot of bodies to move.” 

“Aw, I’m sorry,” Natalie leaned on the doorframe as she started absorbing Guillermo’s energy. “I hate that my parents haven’t found another familiar to help you out yet.” 

“It’s not your fault,” Guillermo shrugged. “I know you help when you can.” 

“It’s still not fair to you,” Natalie reasoned. “You know, why don’t you take off the rest of the afternoon?” 

“That’s nice, Natalie, but I have too much I have to do before nightfall.” 

“I can cover for you,” Natalie offered. “As long as you’re back by the time they wake up, they won’t even notice you’re gone.” 

“You would do that?” Guillermo asked. 

“Yeah, why not?” Natalie shrugged. 

“Okay,” Guillermo nodded, the excitement evident on his face. “Okay, I’ll be back later then. Thanks, Natalie.” 

Guillermo grabbed his bag and headed out the door. As Natalie turned to watch him go, Colin saw her eyes flickering with energy. 

“See?” Natalie smiled. “He was so happy to have the afternoon off, I could feel the energy wash over me. I didn’t have to drain him at all.” 

“How did you do that?” Colin asked. “I’ve never been able to feed off of positive energy.” 

“Really?” Natalie smirked. “So it seems the student has become the teacher.” 


End file.
